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Posted By: barrysloate

Josh is correct that the pictured card does not fit the strict definition of a baseball card, not only for the reasons he stated but also because it most likely depicts stool ball or poisoned ball or any one of the early bat and ball games pictured in David's book. And interestingly, even the 1822 Wood book sold in REA auctions nowhere contains the word "baseball." The bat the boy holds certainly resembles a baseball bat, and the very early date of 1822 is extremely significant, but it too may be one of the myriad games children played in the early half of the 19th century. All fascinating artifacts, but one must take care in determining what games are illustrated by the various woodcuts. Not until Robin Carver's 1834 Book of Sports did the first definitive illustration of a game of baseball appear in a totally American volume.